Chapter 298 - Infiltrating the Hunter Association in Disguise
"Kanto Branch Chief!"
From Harumi's expression, it was clear she was completely shocked.
On one hand, it was because Asahi, the Kanto Branch Chief, had suddenly appeared in Sinnoh.
On the other hand, it was because of Asahi's name itself.
Ordinary people might not know, but within the International Police, Asahi was already a living legend.
He had single-handedly rebuilt the Kanto branch, defeated Team Rocket's leader Giovanni, became the fastest-promoted agent in history, and had even participated in saving the Hoenn Region from disaster...
If it were anyone else claiming they'd defeat Team Galactic and rescue the captured agents, it would've sounded like a joke.
But if it was Mr. Asahi—
It was absolutely possible!
Like Looker, Harumi had complete faith in Asahi.
---
Pokémon Hunter Association
Despite having the words "Pokémon" and "Association" in its name, the Pokémon Hunter Association was nothing more than an illegal organization.
Asahi had crossed paths with them back when he was just a ranger. The Association acted as a middleman — collecting client requests and issuing missions to Pokémon hunters.
"They're really bold, huh..."
Asahi brought Platinum to the place Harumi had mentioned.
In the middle of a wasteland stood a large building with a sign reading "Pokémon Club" hanging right over it.
Since his name was far too well-known in the hunter community, Asahi took out a mask he hadn't used for a long time. With a simple swipe, his appearance changed into that of a Pokémon hunter he'd once encountered in Kanto.
Platinum's eyes widened in shock as she saw Asahi's transformation.
Instant disguise? Was this the skill of a real secret agent?
After completing his disguise, Asahi turned to Platinum, rubbing his chin. "Your Berlitz family's name is too big. If those cowardly hunters catch wind of you, they'll be suspicious."
Platinum froze.
What was Mr. Asahi implying?
Before she could react, Asahi pulled out some makeup tools and smiled at her.
"Let's disguise you a bit."
Ten minutes later—
Satisfied with his work, Asahi coughed lightly and turned his head. "Alright."
Platinum instinctively reached for her mirror to check.
But Asahi stopped her.
"No need for a mirror. Time's tight. Don't waste it. Let's move."
Seeing Asahi's serious expression, Platinum didn't hesitate and followed him straight toward the Pokémon Hunter Association.
---
The Hunter Association's location might have been arrogant, but its internal security was airtight.
If a normal person walked in, they'd probably mistake it for a regular Pokémon club.
Asahi remained calm as he walked to the front desk, knocking lightly on the table. He then took out a badge with a special pattern and placed it on the counter.
"Take me in."
---
The receptionist looked as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.
After checking the badge's authenticity, she scanned Asahi with a device. Upon confirming his identity, she gave a warm smile.
"Congratulations, Mr. Tass, for escaping the Kanto hellhole and arriving at the Pokémon Hunter's paradise—Sinnoh."
With that, she handed Asahi a room key.
However, when her gaze swept over Platinum, it paused for a moment.
The sudden pause made Platinum's heart skip a beat. For a second, she thought she had been exposed.
Thankfully, the education she received since childhood helped her forcefully regain her composure, calmly enduring the receptionist's "inspection."
Seeing the receptionist giving Platinum a strange look, Asahi quickly grabbed her and led her into the elevator.
He gently patted the invisible Mew perched on his shoulder, signaling it to activate the telepathy relay.
[Gardevoir is the best: No need to be nervous.]
[This is?]
Platinum, experiencing telepathy for the first time, showed a surprised expression.
[Gardevoir is the best: I'm talking to you through telepathy. If you want to say something, just speak through this channel.]
Platinum found it fascinating.
She mimicked Asahi and gave herself a nickname in the telepathic link.
[Platinum: Mr. Asahi, why did that person congratulate you on escaping the Kanto hell and arriving at the Sinnoh paradise...?]
[Gardevoir is the best: Oh, that? It's because about ninety percent of Pokémon Hunters in Kanto have been arrested. Most who go there never return. That's why, among hunters, Kanto is nicknamed 'hell.']
[Platinum: Don't tell me...]
Asahi knew exactly what she wanted to ask and nodded directly.
[Gardevoir is the best: That's right. It was me!]
Platinum: "!"
Just as Platinum was about to say something out of shock—
Ding-dong.
The elevator doors opened.
Before them appeared a place resembling a bar.
Inside, groups of Pokémon Hunters either sat at the counter drinking or gathered around to watch a Hitmonlee and a Hitmonchan in the middle of a fierce match.
It was lively and chaotic.
Platinum, who had been properly educated since childhood, felt a strange sense of guilt as if she had strayed into the wrong place.
Yet, deep inside, mixed with the guilt, there was a tiny spark of excitement from breaking the rules for once.
While wrestling with her conflicting emotions, Platinum saw Asahi skillfully wave to a Machamp-backed bouncer guarding the entrance.
Then, he sat down at the bar and said to the bartender, "A cocktail for me, and a fruit juice for my companion..."
The bartender's gaze lingered on Platinum for a moment, clearly surprised, but quickly looked away under Asahi's cough. He served Plantina her juice and began mixing Asahi's drink.
Feigning casualness, Asahi asked, "Any big news in Sinnoh lately? I just escaped from Kanto..."
Upon hearing that Asahi had come from Kanto, everyone in the bar turned to look at him, eyes filled with admiration.
"To make it out of Kanto alive? Incredible!"
"I heard even the infamous J's subordinates got wiped out there."
"Kanto? That place isn't somewhere hunters go if they want to come back!"
Amidst the exclamations, the bartender placed the cocktail in front of Asahi. "There's actually quite a few big events happening in Sinnoh recently..."
"But the ones related to us Pokémon Hunters are mainly two things..."
"What two things?" Asahi asked.
"One is a bounty posted by Team Galactic. They're recruiting hunters to capture the so-called Lake Guardians. Even though Team Galactic got heavily suppressed by the League recently, they deployed the legendary Darkrai last week. The bounty's still tempting."
"And the second?" Asahi asked.
"The second also involves Team Galactic. The notorious J is recruiting. She plans to cooperate with Team Galactic to capture the Lake Guardians together."
"A big project, a big team, a big platform... Compared to dealing with Team Galactic alone, joining J's team comes with a lot more security. If you're looking for work, I recommend joining J."
Hearing the bartender's recommendation, Asahi gave him a suspicious look. "You sound like you've been paid by Hunter J to advertise."
"Of course not!" The bartender stiffened.
Seeing this, the surrounding hunters burst into laughter, leaving the bartender blushing furiously.
At that moment, a man approached Asahi. "Kid, joining Lady J's team is definitely the right choice!"
Asahi turned to him. "You one of Hunter J's men?"
"That's right!" The man puffed up his chest proudly.
The bartender, now calmer, nodded, confirming the man's identity.
Asahi clapped his hands and smiled brightly. "Perfect!"
The two were stunned by Asahi's reaction, just as he casually tossed out a Poké Ball.
Bang!
A flash of white light, and a Shiny Gardevoir with blue hair and a white dress floated midair, gazing down at the stunned Pokémon Hunters.
Asahi snapped his fingers. "Take them down. Everyone except this 'Hunter J's subordinate' next to me."
The moment the words fell, an overwhelming Psychic force erupted from Gardevoir, pinning everyone inside the bar to the floor.
Psychic!
Many hunters barely had time to register the thought before losing consciousness.
Not all present were weaklings—some with sharp instincts had managed to release Dark, Psychic, or Steel-type Pokémon to barely withstand the first wave.
But Gardevoir simply waved her hand.
A pale moon rose within the bar.
Then—
Boom!
The power of Moonblast swept across, wiping out the remaining Pokémon Hunters.
The only ones still standing were Asahi, Platinum, the confused Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan in the ring, and the bartender along with J's subordinate next to Asahi.
Both the bartender and the subordinate were utterly terrified.
Staring at the floating Shiny Gardevoir, a horrifying thought crossed the subordinate's mind.
"You're the Demon Ranger!"
Last time, it was this very man who decimated their comrades in Kanto.
Back then, Asahi had vowed to come after them. They thought he had long forgotten—but now, he was here!
J's subordinate trembled in fear, desperately trying to crawl away from Asahi.
But it was futile. Gardevoir's Psychic had already pinned him down. No matter how much he struggled, it was like his lower body was welded to the chair.
Asahi ignored him, took a sip of the cocktail, and immediately spat it out.
"You're the first bartender I've met who can make a cocktail taste this bad."
The bartender, dumbfounded by how Asahi casually commented after flattening the entire bar, instinctively reached for the alarm button to call the bouncers outside.
But—
Seeing Asahi's calm, yet penetrating gaze, he quietly withdrew his hand.
"I like smart people."
Asahi smiled faintly. "So, tell me. Why is Hunter J recruiting?"
It took Asahi about ten minutes to extract Hunter J's information from the still-nameless bartender and the trembling subordinate.
Once he was satisfied, he signaled Gardevoir to put both of them to sleep with Hypnosis.
With the two now unconscious, Asahi rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
According to them, the reason Hunter J was recruiting had nothing to do with what the bartender claimed earlier about bargaining power with Team Galactic.
The real reason was simple.
In her last clash with the Sinnoh League, J had been betrayed by Team Galactic and was forced to cover the retreat alone. As a result, many of her subordinates were captured, leaving her desperate to replenish her forces.
That's why she sent people directly to the Pokémon Hunter Association to recruit.
As for what Asahi wanted to know the most—Hunter J's current location—the subordinate only knew that she was moving around the area near Mt. Coronet.
"Near Mt. Coronet, huh..."
That was too vague.
Mt. Coronet stretched across almost the entire Sinnoh region. Searching blindly could take months without guaranteed results.
So—
Asahi pulled out his communicator, activated the voice changer, and tried mimicking the subordinate's voice.
"Lady J, I've recruited a very capable hunter."
Listening to the recording, Asahi nodded in satisfaction. It sounded about seventy to eighty percent similar—good enough to fool Hunter J.
After settling everything, Asahi finally noticed that Platinum hadn't spoken for a while.
He turned to look.
There she was, standing with a mirror in hand, staring blankly at her own reflection, her face covered in messy camouflage makeup.
For a long moment, Platinum turned to Asahi.
At last, she realized why people had been staring at her so intently.
Feeling slightly guilty under her gaze, Asahi coughed. "Look on the bright side. At least no one recognized you as the heiress of the Berlitz family. The disguise worked, didn't it?"
Platinum: "..."
Unable to face her expression, Asahi quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, there are still some guards outside. We need to deal with them. This information can't leak."
---
Clearing out the remaining guards of the Pokémon Hunter Association was effortless.
After Asahi and Gardevoir took out a bouncer and his Skuntank with a single Moonblast, Plantina, despite her lack of experience, managed to command Piplup to defeat the receptionist and her Luxio.
Standing triumphantly on top of Luxio, Piplup was covered in scratches but puffed up its chest proudly.
After dragging all the unconscious hunters into a room and tying them up, Asahi and Plantina opened the warehouse belonging to the Pokémon Hunters.
What greeted them was rows upon rows of Poké Balls. In the distance, many Pokémon were caged up.
As Asahi stepped inside, the Pokémon in the cages glared at him with eyes full of hostility.
....
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